A friend and former colleague forwards a daily thought that I thought this AM on many fronts was apt to post to my blog and a good start to the week:

“You are stronger than anything standing in your way. Because you have a purpose that cannot be denied.  Often that purpose is difficult and inconvenient to follow. Yet it is never impossible to follow. There is always a way. If the path you’re on is blocked, look for another route, because it is surely there. You can be flexible, innovative, determined and persistent. You can imagine any possibility, and then work to make that possibility real. Every moment, every circumstance, every turn of events presents you with an opportunity to act. Take those opportunities, make those actions come to life, and express the purpose that is uniquely you. Step up and embrace the responsibility for moving your life forward. Whatever may come, there is always a way.” Ralph Marston

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

For as long as I can remember, first thing every morning, I always looked forward to opening the door, grabbing the newspapers and reading  them.  On this fall Sunday, I have spent the early morning thoroughly enjoying the Sunday New York Times.  Every week there is nothing that beats the Sunday Times.  From a story analyzing former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s day-to-day life to a Russian oligarch challenging the Kremlin, nearly every aspect of the paper is special and amazing.

As I have often said, to be successful in Public Relations one must read — and read often – but I can’t see being anywhere in life and not reading regularly.

Ronn Torossian
5WPR

What a day today was…

It started at 8 a.m. in the 5W PR conference room with a presentation to clients, new business prospects and staff by Hank Sheinkopf.  Hank is a friend and renowned political consultant, who touches major political and business leaders on a daily basis.  I really enjoyed his smart, focused and inspiring perspective on this election and the economy, filled pithy truths like, “This, and most American elections boil down to 500,000 white men in a few states.”  Another take-away I enjoyed was, “Truth in politics doesn’t matter – Victory does.”

One of my favorite parts about owning a successful public relations agency is my ability to interact with people like Hank, who are so well-connected to top segments of business, politics and the like.  To hear Hank tell war stories about political battle is simply amazing and interesting on many different fronts.  He discussed getting a call from then New Jersey Governor Mcgreevey at 8 a.m. regarding his scandal and sitting in the Governor’s mansion and (amazingly) being asked, “Do you think this will be big news?”  Simply amazing and interesting on many different fronts.

After Hank’s talk, I ran to a 10 a.m. meeting with a major client with whom we maintain a very close relationship. We talked about some fun and interesting campaigns they are working on.  Afterward, I reinforced to my staff that during tight times it’s imperative to over-communicate daily activities, pulling out our most creative (cost effective) ideas/pitches and educating clients about our service each and every day.

My noon meeting was a roundtable networking lunch of 25 hand-picked entrepreneurs, from technology to corporate concerns, nightlife conglomerates to non-profit leaders.  Just 25 individuals sitting around the table discussing business (although, of course, the conversation morphed to the economy and politics).

Then, it was back to my office for weekly round-up meetings with my direct reports.  I always want to know first, the worst thing going on in each group. (Is there an employee problem? Client surprise? Top line and bottom line.)

Really a nutty and busy day.  But times like today are always inspiring as an entrepreneur.  I believe the ability to determine one’s future exists for all people.  But successful people just have that something extra

I received an email from a Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi at the end of the day with a quote I enjoyed, and wanted to pass it along. The Chabad Rabbi of blessed memory in difficult times would continuously quote the saying, “Tracht Gut Vet Zayn Gut – Think positive and it will be positive!”

… .and it’s funny: as I read the quote, I passed by a huge Jay-Z banner which said, “Refuse to Lose.” Which for me, is essentially the same message.

To me, at times such as these, anyone who isn’t concerned about the economy lives on Mars.  It’s a tough time, and it requires extra focus.  But successful people dig down further, work harder and make it happen.  As we lead into the weekend, I will end with another quote which I have used before, by Roger Ailes (Fox News): “If you run into people who are negative and always telling you that the cat got run over, and you couldn’t get the car started, and you’ve got a cold, the suits are idiots and life isn’t fair, you know, you need to get away from those people because they will suck you under and hold you down and drown you.”

Just Do It.  Refuse to Lose.

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

So it’s not exactly a news flash for me to say that it’s not the ideal time to search for an entry level public relations job (or any job for that matter). So, imagine my surprise this morning when I got two astounding emails in a row, requesting just that.

The first was sent from a blackberry and literally had no periods.  It contained only one run on sentence, which lasted maybe 10 lines. This person recently moved from another country and worked in real estate, but her “life dream” was to work in PR.  And that was why she deserved a job here.  To make matters worse, she then followed up with two phone calls (which I didn’t return).

The next email was sent from an email address rife with four-letter words, though the attached resume was actually very good, after receiving these two emails, I felt a responsibility to share a word of warning.  Scoring an interview is much more than just a decent resume.

Our PR agency is constantly hiring, but we also turn away countless aspiring publicists.  Suffice it to say, neither of these individuals received a call back.

Now, back to work…

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

A few months back I had a spirited discussion (argument?) with an acquaintance regarding some viral marketing issues. Without discussing details, I vehemently disagreed with him and told him what he was saying was incorrect, based on facts. He retorted that he was going to urge his organization to spend money pursuing his viewpoint, because some leading PR-and-marketing blog research and books told him he was right. I replied that it wasn’t just me who would disagree, but I was also confident all of my competitors would share my opinion. He told me he didn’t have time to meet with agencies and that reading the blogosphere was enough. I didn’t see him for a few months, but today I ran into him. He told me how right I was and what a mistake he made…and therein lies a major problem with the blogosphere: one’s ability to decipher authenticity.

The fact is that someone with a blog has a following, but does that person actually make a living doing what they are writing about? The same goes with books. That is a question I always ask when reading material, online or off. Are they successful at doing what they say? For example, in the PR Agency business, shouldn’t someone like a Richard Edelman not hold more weight than a blog written by a college student or a one-person PR practitioner? Would an agency owner not know more and have better insight than an account executive? (Another example: If brands trust someone to spend their money, I trust that person’s opinion more than someone who theorizes…. The same way anyone who manages my personal finances or cold-calls me promising major returns on money. My retort is always, “Great. Send me your personal tax returns — I want to see what you invest in.)

A major issue for public relations, marketing, and advertising bloggers and information that exists is authenticity. There are so few owners of agencies in the space who actively blog on relevant topics that it makes it hard to qualify “true” expertise. Shouldn’t rankings in this arena — such as Adage’s Power 150  — be skewed towards those who actually make a living (and a good one at that) doing what they blog about (i.e. do people actively listen to them)?

Conversely, no matter what the blogosphere might say about international diplomacy, I’d think in just a few months Condoleezza Rice probably has a better understanding of international diplomacy than does a professor from American University. Shouldn’t a blog by an expert have more weight than a commentator?

Reminds me of a quote I heard recently from a close friend: “Professional work is not an academic exercise or a marketing experiment. It’s the difference between making money and philosophy.

Ronn Torossian
5WPR